


Saving Draco Malfoy

by JediBatman



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: ( ... and maybe to Lovers!), Draco wants to redeem himself, Enemies to Friends, F/M, First Kiss, Hermione has a kind soul, Unresolved Romantic Tension?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-11 14:47:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19929811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediBatman/pseuds/JediBatman
Summary: After her breakup with Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger has returned to the Muggle world. To keep her mind away from Ron and to help others, she decides to volunteer for the Suicide Prevention Watch.She is surprised when she realizes who the first person to save is.





	Saving Draco Malfoy

Hermione Granger had known Ron Weasley for fourteen years. The first seven of them, they had been classmates in Hogwarts sharing and doing so many things together: attending classes, reading, homework, befriending Harry Potter, fighting against You-Know-Who ... 

For the next seven years they had been a couple, living together, going on vacations together, remembering the past together, making plans for a future together ... until they both realized they wanted different futures. The minor differences soon became fundamental ones and common ground was harder and harder to find.

In the end, the breakup was the only solution. It had been sad and painful and tearful. Despite this, — thanks in no small part to Harry Potter and his support — it had been civilized and friendly. She really meant it when she had wished him to find another woman to love. 

One week later, Hermione was back in the Muggle world accepting a position in a joint committee of Muggles and Wizards. It was a good way to distance herself from Ron and his world for some time. 

There was so much empty space, so much empty time now that Ron was no longer part of her life. Although her job was important and fulfilling, there were still so many empty hours every day. She wanted to fill that time in a meaningful way, helping other people and having something else to think instead of Ron.

One day, while returning to her small apartment in the outskirts of London, Hermione saw a poster by Scotland Yard, advertising its new volunteer service. “Suicide Prevention Watch. Because Every Life Counts!” That was it, she thought. “Even if I save one life, that will be something,” she whispered while writing the phone, the address, the e-mail and the URL in a small notepad. 

Two months passed after Hermione's breakup with Ron. She hadn't dated another man in the meantime, and as Harry Potter had told her, neither had Ron. Both needed time to heal, she thought. Hopefully, Ron was not sad. 

During those months, Hermione became a celebrity in her new job both because of her heroism against You-Know-Who and her professional skill and competence at work. At the same time, she became a volunteer for the Suicide Prevention Watch and had agreed to walk on London bridges twice a week after work and try to prevent people from jumping to their deaths. 

It was five p.m on Friday when Hermione Granger left work and headed to one of the biggest and newest bridges on river Thames. It had the dubious record for the most suicide attempts of all London bridges.

“Every life matters!” she thought and started her patrol. Fortunately, none had attempted suicide during the other three times she had been there so hopefully ...

She saw the man holding a black bag with his left hand. He wore black shoes, and a black coat with a hood that covered his head. He was fifty meters away but Hermione immediately recognised what he was about to do. 

“Stop! Please stop!” she yelled, while running towards the man. The man apparently didn't hear her because he didn't turn to look at her. The next second, he dropped his bag and climbed the parapet ready to jump to his death. 

“Sir! Please!” Hermione pleaded. “Your life matters!” That stopped the man cold. He hesitated, straightened his body, and slowly turned to face her. 

“Do you really mean that,” the man said hesitating, “Hermione Granger?” 

Hermione looked at him. It couldn't be! The same face, the same voice as seven years ago! And from all the places on this planet, from all the people of Earth, that man had appeared in front of her! 

She had hated him for what he had done to her, for all the bullying, the insults, for calling her Mudblood because she wasn't a racially pure witch, for his racism, for his elitism, for his collaboration with You-Know-Who. Yet, she was there to prevent suicides because deeply inside her she believed that all lives matter ... even the lives of people they hate you.

“I really mean it,” Hermione said in a confident voice, “Draco Malfoy.” She looked at him and he looked at her. He nodded and perhaps for the first time in his life, he smiled at her. Without hesitation, Draco stepped down from the parapet in front of Hermione.

“So Malfoy,” Hermione asked after some time, “why did you try to kill yourself?”

“It is a long story,” he replied. “Would you like to listen?”

“By all means.” They walked up and down the bridge talking.

The night Aldus Dumbledore died, Draco realized the error in his ways. He had the great wizard at his mercy, but he had hesitated to kill him. It took him years to realize it had not been cowardice that had prevented him. It had been conscience. But for better or worse, his parents and other supporters of the Dark Lord still considered him a coward.

After the battle of Hogwarts, the Dark Lord was dead and his supporters either dead or in prison. Draco was spared the worst due to his young age. Nevertheless, the deaths of both Dumbledore and Voldermont left him questioning himself.

The more Draco thought, the more guilty he felt. The more he learned about Muggles, the more he liked and respected them, and the more he hated himself for not realizing that earlier.

“I just look around me and what do I see?” Draco asked. “Decent human beings who have mastered so many scientific achievements that we the Wizards can only dream of.”

It took him years, but in the end Draco made a list of all the mistakes he had made to all the people he knew. He wrote letters to all of them, apologizing and asking how he could redeem himself for his mistakes.

Unfortunately, the replies were far from encouraging. Most people didn't even bother answering. The rest were mostly hostile. Some of them even sent death threats to him.

“Have I really been such a monster?” Draco asked. “All the rhetoric about morality and forgiveness meant nothing to them.”

In the end Draco was alone. The former supporters of the Dark Lord didn't want to acknowledge their defeat and the error in their ways. The Dark Lord's enemies could not forgive him for his past. 

“There was nothing left for me. My own family won't talk to me. My old friends think I am a traitor.” There were tears in his eyes, as Hermione could observe. “I felt so lonely, so worthless.”

Hermione couldn't speak. Draco had sent her a letter as well, and she hadn't even bothered reading it. She had torn it and thrown it to the garbage.

“You just wanted to apologize,” she said in tears. “I am so sorry for not reading your letter.”

“I am so sorry for all those years Hermione. I understand why you didn't want to talk to me or reply.”

“Draco,” Hermione said. “When I said your life matters, I really meant it. And I understand you want to change.”

“I have done so many awful things. Do you really think I can?”

“You cannot change the past Draco. But you can always compensate for it if you do something good.”

“What do you suggest?”

“What if you were in my place and a very sad man or a very sad woman wanted to jump to his or her death? Would you be there to save them?”

Draco smiled. “I would.” He agreed to join the Watch on the spot.

It was night. Another member of Suicide Prevention Watch took Hermione's place on the bridge. Draco and Hermione went for dinner and discussed what happened to their lives during the past seven years.

“So I have a job here in London,” Draco said. “It is just data entry but I can pay the rent.”

“This is great,” Hermione said. “I, on the other hand, just moved here. You know after ...”

“I am sorry you broke up with Ron,” Draco said. “You know, I never dared to admit it, but I was a bit jealous.”

“I know you were,” Hermione said with a smile. “You were jealous when I kissed Viktor Krum and when I kissed Ron. I admit I was flattered.”

Draco and Hermione looked at each other deeply in the eyes. Both knew what the other one thought but none of them wanted to say it. They both had felt it years ago but nobody had admitted it. 

The first kiss was soft and tender. The second one a bit more passionate. 

“We really have a lot of things to work out,” Hermione said. “But it is a start.”

“I agree,” Draco replied. “Thank you for saving my life Hermione.”

“Don't die on me now,” she said in mock accusation. Both of them burst into laughter.

“You won't kiss me again if I do,” Draco said with a smile.

The night continued with pleasantries and compliments and apologies (mostly from Draco's part). Hermione was so happy. She had saved a life, she had convinced Draco to save even more lives ...

... and perhaps she had found love again.


End file.
